Born in Philadelphia, Abrams studied art at the Graphic Sketch Club of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania College of Art, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His studies also took him abroad to Europe, where he spent time at numerous institutions in France, Italy, and Spain. During World War II, Abrams served with the Army Camouflage “Phantom Troops,” an army unit that recruited artists from New York and Philadelphia to camouflage military equipment.
